


A Moment's Notice

by AceOfFates



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Pining, Pining Jason Todd, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27794227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceOfFates/pseuds/AceOfFates
Summary: It could be the perfect moment to say, "I love you."
Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Comments: 8
Kudos: 81





	A Moment's Notice

**Author's Note:**

> Something short that was inspired by this tweet/tumblr post: https://twitter.com/dumpster_brainz/status/1331892866361257985?s=20 and mostly written at like 1am so there may be some weird phrasing or pacing- i've edited it now but y'know how it is.  
> Talk to me on twitter, if you want @disastrixx where i do a lot of batman shitposting ;)  
> It's just a drabble but I might write more to this at some point- though I'm still kinda working on details but I'm a huge sucker for road trips so, you never know. anyway! enjoy~~

It's four in the morning.

The yellowed lights of the 24 hour diner cast everything in a honey hued glow, like the edges of everything are slightly soft and dreamlike. Music drifts through the space from the old jukebox in the corner, a relic that looks like it's seen better days but refuses to die. The red pleather seats are cracked and worn from the years of use, tabletops littered with water and coffee and whatever else this place has seen stains.

They could probably piece together the stories these stains and cracks tell. That the dent in the jukebox is from a fight fifty years ago over some girl. Or, Tim would say, someone was loading groceries on a dolly and hit it. They'd argue about it, what was a fight and what was more benign, until the waitress came back to fill their coffee cups. 

It's four in the morning and they're two days out of Gotham, meandering along towards the west coast while following their prey. A road trip as much as it is a mission. "It'll be fun," Jason had said with a shrug while trying to convince Tim to take the case. Anything to get Tim to spend some time with him. Following the drug runners was important, of course, finding their suppliers and shutting it down at their base outside of Gotham would cripple their operation. It  _ was _ important, but it was also an excuse. They could have followed them in any number of ways. Trackers, surveillance cameras watched from the safety of the cave. Instead he’d used it as an excuse to get out of Gotham, away from the pollution thick air and the weight of expectations. Just for a little while.

It's four in the morning and out here they're just Jason and Tim. Nobody knows who they are here, doesn’t know the history or reason for them stopping at a roadside diner attached to a shitty motel. 

He's just Jason.

And Tim is just Tim. 

Which means that Tim is reading through his files on his tablet, sipping his coffee slowly. It's a comfortable silence; even if Jason would like to ask Tim's opinion about the dent in the jukebox. They’ve spent most of the day driving, watching scenery idly scroll by while maintaining a distance from the truck they’re following. Or he could have been watching the scenery, instead he kept an eye on Tim. Just like he’s watching now as Tim scribbles a note on the screen with his finger, eyebrows scrunched in concentration, tongue poking ever so slightly out the side of his mouth.

The waitress comes by then, placing a strawberry pink milkshake in front of Jason and refilling Tim's coffee. Tim turns and smiles up at her, bright and attractive as he says thanks. It's not one of his press smiles, the ones he uses to charm people into doing what he wants, it's more genuine. Personal. He'll leave her a tip that's probably worth more than one paycheque, Jason bets.

Tim's focus slides as she walks away, meeting Jason's eyes from across the table. He's still smiling just a little and Jason thinks to himself, "I love you."

It could be the perfect moment. The lights are soft, music playing, they're alone in the middle of nowhere and nobody knows or cares who they are. No vigilantism, no right or wrong, no Batman hovering over their shoulders. Jason doesn’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations in this moment but his own. Jason could finally say it and Tim would know it was just for him. For the Tim Jason gets to see glimpses of in safehouses, the one who helps little old ladies across the street, who smiles so brightly at waitresses and means it.

Except Jason has been staring too long, the moment’s passed and Tim's eyebrows draw together in a question. In his mind’s eye a drop of water breaks the surface. With quick, practiced ease Jason rips the top off the straw wrapper and brings it up to his mouth. The rest of the wrapper hits Tim square in the chest. Jason grins around the straw in his mouth, as if that had been his goal all along.

Tim laughs, the sound louder than the heartbeat in Jason's ears. It’s not exactly what Jason had hoped for, not what he had glimpsed ever so briefly in his imagination if he could just make himself  _ say something _ . But all the same, it made Tim laugh and Jason feels warm at the thought that he  _ can _ make Tim laugh. 

Tim's attention is already back on his tablet, though the mirth lingers around his mouth and eyes.

It's four in the morning. They’ll drink in silence except for the soft melodies from the dented jukebox; Tim will review his files and Jason will watch.


End file.
